North Korea expands missile production to fuel Russia's attacks on Ukraine

Reuters reports this with reference to the conclusions of researchers from the American think tank based on satellite images.

The plant, known as the February 11 plant, is part of the Ryongsong engineering complex in Hamgyong, North Korea's second largest city.

Sam Lair, a research fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, said that the plant was the only known producer of Hwasong-11 solid-fuel ballistic missiles.

Satellite images taken in early October by the commercial satellite company Planet Labs show that an additional assembly building is being built at the plant, as well as a new residential facility, presumably intended for workers.

“It also appears that Pyongyang is improving the entrances for some of the underground facilities at the complex,” the report says.

It is noted that the new assembly building is about 60-70% larger than the previous building where missiles were assembled.

• Among the components of the KN-23/KN-24 ballistic missiles that North Korea handed over to Russia for the war against Ukraine, foreign-made elements of 2023 were found.